How To Securely Check In Your Bags

• You can leave your expensive luggage at home; sure you might feel more comfortable traveling with designer bags and luggage, but you should also know that most thieves will find designer suitcases most attractive. In other words, you are more likely to turn into a victim compared to if you were to pack your items in a cheaper suitcase.

• However, it is best to opt for luggage that allows you to install padlocks or that already comes with small locks or padlocks to secure the content. The good news is that you have a vast variety of secured luggage to choose from, or you can simply buy cable locks you can use to secure your bags to fixed tables inside airport terminals and even hotel rooms. There are also cables locks that can be used to secure laptops so if you need to travel together with your portable computer, you can rest assured potential thieves will have a harder time getting their hands on your device. There are also cable locks and other security devices destined for tablets and all you need to do is go online and do a brief search for the best cable locks you can find.

• Opt for luggage trackers that will allow you to easily keep an eye on your luggage at all times inside the airport and outside of it, once you reach your hotel.

• Get in touch with a local locksmith who can better explain all the features and functions of these security devices and which are the best ways to use them. If you already have a favorite fast response Portland locksmith you use for your lock maintenance work, you can get in touch with him and ask him to come over and provide you WITH the traveling advice you need. As a side note, never leave home without making sure your locks and alarms are working properly.

• Remember to keep your double zippers locked at all times and never lose your bags out of sight, at least until you are ready to drop them to the the check in area.

• Opt for portable locks that can be rekeyed by the TSA agents at the airports; remember most airports require you to leave your luggage unlocked when running their inspection, and for this you will need special TSA-approved locks.

How To Safely Carry On Your Bags

• Keep your bags with you at all times if you are not going to check them in. If you are going to be taking a flight overnight, you will need to watch out for for pilferers that are going through the overhead bins.

• It is advisable to use bags that feature double zippers at all entry points so you can use special combo locks for them. You will also look for bags that have built-in locks or look for a split key ring that is configured so it can be attached to zippers.

The Myafair Club In New York – The Cradle Of Poker Legends

If you are a passionate poker player, you must have heard of Howard Lederer or Dan Harrington. They are professional poker players who are no strangers to the popular World Series of Poker championship. And another thing they have in common is the fact they have become today’s successful players thanks to the Mayfair Club in New York. The underground card rooms gave birth to many legends, and these two count among them. Unfortunately, a large number of these special poker rooms were closed in 2005 after several raids. If you are now wondering if there is any way of playing live poker in New York today, the answer is “yes”.

Where Can You Play Poker In Las Vegas?

There are still plenty of underground poker rooms in the city, but they are run tighter security than previous rooms, which means getting in is a lot harder.  Players can only get in with the help of recommendations from other players, and they also need to go through security checks to be accepted. These rooms continue to function outside the law, given the fact the state of New York forbids gambling, and poker is defined as a form of gambling following the detailed definition of gambling. If you want to get your poker fix while in New York, you will have to catch a ride all the way to Foxwoods in Connecticut or Atlantic City or opt for one of the numerous online poker options. You can easily play Texas Holdem on sites like Poker.Ladbrokes.com or, better yet, download and install their mobile app and enter the exciting universe of remote poker for real cash.

Get ready to be welcomed with a 200% bonus worth up to 1,200 Pounds instead of a security check and do not worry, your presence there will not depend of you getting a reference from another registered member. Registration is free of charge and you can pick your favorite depositing methods using your credit card or an online wallet system you like most. Bonuses and promos are a regular here, so you will get to actually wager less of your account money and more of the casino’s money. Games like Texas Hold’em, Multi Table, Speed Poker, sit ‘n’ go tournaments like Maui, Fort Knox, Rio, or Dirty Dozen and other equally thrilling poker varieties can be all played here on a 24/7 basis.  The rich graphics will make you feel like you are sitting right behind a poker table inside steamy poker room in an underground venue in New York,  but with a lot more to gain.

Room with a view, courtesy of Erik Vokel Boutique Apartments

Land of bull fights, jamón, flamenco, tapas, fútbol and oh so much more, Spain needs no introduction and nowhere can you better experience the captivating mosaic of Spanish culture than Madrid.

That’s exactly where I started my visit to Spain, a return 10 years in the making. Having called the vibrant city home a decade ago I was eager to return and just as keen on finding the ideal home base. My previous stay in Spain, I lived with a family in the ‘centro’ district and was hopeful I could find an equally central location without giving up that great sense of what it feels like to be a local.

With my new location independent career path and given that I’d be dedicating a few hours each morning of my stay to work, I was looking for a place with more elbow-room and flexibility but also somewhere that would give me integration with locals. Eschewing a hotel, I was on the hunt for the perfect ‘apartmento madrileno’ and scored big. Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments offered to host me at one of their Madrid apartments and it proved to be an ideal and quite luxurious locale to base my stay.

My Madrid "office" for the week at Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments

The apartments are designed by a Copenhagen-born design and architecture enthusiast and I was treated to a stay in the penthouse suite which offered a two bedroom, two bath apartment and a spacious terrace with views over the Madrid skyline. What I particularly liked about the apartment design is the combination of bright, warm Mediterranean colors with minimalist elegance and simplicity. The natural wood flooring was the perfect complement to the fresh design and comfortable furnishings, all which played together beautifully. It was a superbly inviting ambience to relax in after a day of exploring the city or to work from each morning.

The eco-friendly apartment is fully-equipped – washer, dryer, dishwasher, etc. – but it was the extra touches that really set the apartment apart. The check in process was seamless. I had a delayed flight in from Rome which got me in hours after reception had closed. An uber efficient check-in kiosk allowed me to check in at whatever time I pleased and I was welcomed in my room to a basket full of gourmet goodies – olive oil, olives, pate and a handful of other Madrid delights.

The only downfall? The apartment was so comfortable I had trouble getting myself motivated to venture out each day – no joke!

The apartment is truly ideal for the independent-minded or business traveler. You have access to all the amenities of a luxury hotel (fine linens, soaps, etc.) and the comforts of home in a foreign city. What more could you ask for?

Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments

Price: Ranges from €135 and up
Website: http://erikvokel.com/

(Note: Many thanks to Eric Vökel Boutique Apartments for hosting my stay at their wonderful boutique apartments – our opinions are, as always, our own.)

Sunset in Etosha National Park | Namibia

Elephant Nature Park | Chiang Mai, Thailand

This week reform is blossoming across the beautiful country of Burma. We remember the hushed whispers about then prisoned “The Lady.” Two years later that lady is free and this week claims victory to a historic election. Cautiously hopeful a new day is dawning in Burma, here are portraits of the gently resilient Burmese.

Parasol Makers | Inle Lake, Burma

Thanaka Baby | Bagan, Burma

Fisherman | Inle Lake, Burma

The Long Walk Home | Inle Lake, Burma

Cheroot, Burmese Cigar | Bagan, Burma

Boat Driver | Inle Lake, Burma

Giving of the Alms | Mandalay, Burma

Luongi Maker Hard at Work | Mandalay, Burma

Karen Woman | Inle Lake, Burma

Scenes from Inle Lake | Burma

Rush Hour | Yangon, Burma

Lady Shepherd | Bagan, Burma

Street Vendor | Yangon, Burma

Morning Commute | Mandalay, Burma

Baby on Board | Inle Lake, Burma

A: Age you went on your first international trip:

Ryan: I am somewhat ashamed to admit that going to Mexico for Spring Break when I was 19 was my first international trip. Even that immature version of myself enjoyed being out of my comfort zone. This was not, however, the trip that sparked my interest in travel.

Laura: I was 16 when I left to go to Costa Rica for 3 weeks as part of a high school class trip.

B: Best (foreign) beer you’ve had and where:

Ryan: I love trying local beers wherever I go so this is tough. But if I had to choose one, it has to be Guinness. I can drink it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and the best pints seemed to be poured at The Great Southern Hotel bar in Galway.

Laura: Little Creatures Pale Ale in Melbourne, Australia.

C: Cuisine (favorite):

This answer is going to get old: India. Absolutely zero question any cuisine in the world is more flavorful. That’s not an opinion; it’s a fact.

D: Destinations, favorite, least favorite and why:

Favorite: India (I told you it will get old), because nowhere made us feel and think so much.

Least favorite: Probably Egypt. I’m coming around to it with time and would actually like to return, but I still feel there are very fundamental ideological differences between us that I found difficult to bridge.

E: Event you experienced abroad that made you say “wow”:

Ryan: First one that springs to mind at the moment is Gay Mardi Gras in Sydney. I said “wow” a lot taking in the festivities there.

Laura: Carnaval in Rio is a month-long non-stop event. Spending 10 days in Rio leading up to Carnaval with all the neighborhood festivals was an incredible event to experience.

F: Favorite mode of transportation:

Ryan: I am big, big fan of walking. But, nothing beats renting a bike/scooter in a foreign country. The feeling of independence I felt in Cambodia, Thailand and Greece on motorbikes was thrilling.

Laura: Can’t beat transport that doubles as a home. I loved our camper in NZ and our huge 4×4 truck with the tent pitched on top in southern Africa.

G: Greatest feeling while traveling:

Ryan: The times of total independence. In New Zealand in our camper and in Botswana in our 4×4 jeep with flip-top tent.

Laura: Not thinking about work and waking up thinking, “I wonder what we’ll do today!”

H: Hottest place you’ve traveled to:

4-way tie: Luxor, Egypt; Jaisalmer, India; Mandalay, Burma; Kerala, India. All were over 100, some 115 dry heat and the others 100 with 100 percent humidity.

I: Incredible service you’ve experienced and where:

These places I’ve taken note of and recommended countless times for their thoughtful service: Pousada Xama in Pipa, Brazil; Thongbay Guest House in Luang Prabang, Laos; Baan Orapin Hotel in Chiang Mai, Thailand; DeviGarh Palace outside of Udaipur, India; Kankarwa Haveli in Udaipur, India; Radjhani Restaurant in Mumbai, India.

J: Journey that took the longest:

62 hour bus from Arequipa, Peru to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

K: Keepsake from your travels:

Greatest are photos and videos we have of our time with the kids at Mazabuka Orphanage

L: Let-down sight, why and where:

Pyramids in Giza, because we don’t like incessantly pushy people or KFC.

M: Moment where you fell in love with travel:

Ryan: Backpacking through Europe for 3 weeks with a college buddy before studying abroad in Galway, Ireland. Those 3 weeks introduced me, way too quickly, to so many different cultures, peoples and ideas that, as an experiential learner, I knew travel was going to be the greatest drain on income for the rest of my life.

Laura: First trip outside the U.S. to Costa Rica.

N: Nicest hotel you’ve stayed in:

Chedi Club at Tanah Gajah in Ubud, Bali. We can’t even talk about it.

O: Obsession—what are you obsessed with taking pictures of while traveling?:

Ryan: Food.

Laura: People, especially in colorful India.

P: Passport stamps, how many and from where?

Not sure and not enough.

Q: Quirkiest attraction you’ve visited and where:

Probably somewhere in Wisconsin and involving a big plaster version of an animal.

R: Recommended sight, event or experience:

Sight: Taj Mahal is really, really impressive; Event: Carnaval in Rio ; Experience: Campervanning in New Zealand.

S: Splurge; something you have no problem forking over money for while traveling:

Ryan: Food, beer and opting out of tours.

Laura: A nice place to lay my head after traveling “hard” for several days or weeks.

T: Touristy thing you’ve done:

Lots of things. Some places everyone should visit, even it if means having to with a hundred others.

U: Unforgettable travel memory:

Driving back to our camp in Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana when we came across 40 elephants walking together with the sun setting behind them. It was the most beautiful thing we’d ever seen.

V: Visas, how many and for where?

Not sure, but wish we could skip past the applications and do more of the traveling.

W: Wine, best glass of wine while traveling and where?

A damn good question and fun to answer! For pleasure purposes, best glasses of wine were after getting engaged and running and drinking our way through the Medoc Marathon in France.

X: eXcellent view and from where?:

10,000 feet skydiving out of a plane in Lake Taupo, New Zealand or anywhere in Switzerland.

Y: Years spent traveling?:

Ryan: 3

Laura: 3

Z: Zealous sports fans and where?:

La Boca and River Plate fans in Buenos Aires.

There are a lot of terrible travel blogs out there. These travel blogs are anything but. Always informative and enjoyable to read, here are some great travel blogs we’d like to see create their Travel ABC’s:

Two Go Round the World
Go Backpacking
Uncornered Market

Here are the good, the bad and the ugly of the most interesting airports we visited around the world.

The Good

Suvarnabhumi Airport – Bangkok, Thailand

Bangkok's airport is a temple of contemporary architecture

Like Bangkok, the airport caters to an eclectic mix of people. Standing next to the airport’s Islamic prayer room were Thai ladyboys, and down the hallway in the airport’s slick food court were tubby, gruff Aussies with tiny, Thai women on their arms. It’s hard to decide which is the bigger spectacle – the airport’s clean, cool architectural modernity or the constantly moving zoo of humans it it, where people-watching is elevated to sport. Who knew that flights to Thailand and the country’s main airport were tourist destinations themselves?

Changi International Airport – Singapore

Singapore's airport tops our list of best places to lay over

For something more low-tech, those on long layovers can actually get spa treatments or take a shower at the facilities in the airport. What really impressed us, though, were the two separate 24-hour napping areas, the six open-air garden areas and the array of shops that read like a who’s who of luxury retailers: Hermes, Prada, Gucci and Bulgari.

Because of our timing – we arrived from Sydney late at night and had an early-morning flight to Mumbai – we decided not to take advantage of the special pass offered to tourists, like us, on extended layovers to tour central Singapore for a few hours. All in all, Changi, for our money…er,time, is our favorite place to lay over.

The Odd

Bhadrapur Airport – Southeast of Nowhere, Nepal

No irony intended with the VIP sign at Nepal's Bhadrapur Airport

Third world airports aren't good for nervous flyers

Once on the plane, the pilot eyes you by height and weight and shuffles the passengers around to keep the plane’s “equilibrium,” always fun to hear any time you’re in a moving object…flying in the sky…through the Himalayas. Needless to say, we made it safely with some spectacular mountain views Nepal is famous for. But this is one memorable travel experience I’m OK with looking back on and not eager to re-live.

Kilimanjaro International Airport – Moshi/Arusha, Tanzania

Kilimanjaro International Airport (JRO) is dubbed "the gateway to Africa's wildlife"

JRO, as its known in airport code, is situated between Arusha, where most visitors embark on wildlife adventures in the nearby Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater or across the border to Kenya’s game parks, and Moshi, where trekkers attempt to summit Africa’s highest mountain for which the airport is eponymously named, Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We first picked up Laura’s dad from here when he met us for some African adventure. He couldn’t believe that the 747 he was on was going to land in what he thought was a field. I got a taste of what he was talking about when I flew to Nairobi from JRO. Because I didn’t receive a wake-up call at my hotel, I was very worried security was not going to let me through to my gate when I arrived 40 minutes before my flight was set to depart, well under the 2 hours suggested for international flights.

What a laugh. Airports like these are my favorite – small, easily manageable and which represent the destination itself. Like Tanzanians, the airport was warm, welcoming and laid back. The security guard was one of about 15 people total in the airport and didn’t fuss about my late arrival. He calmly scanned my bag in seconds, leaving me plenty of time to enjoy the fruits of this quaint, aeronautical operation.

On a clear day after a storm, it's possible to get a view of snow-capped Mt. Kilimanjaro

The Ugly

Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport – Mumbai, India

Mumbai's airport doesn't do much to contradict negative stereotypes

The place is a dump, to put it bluntly. A disorganized, bureaucratically corrupt dump. Laura and I walked out of baggage claim to find filthy, squat toilets in one of the world’s busiest airports. An airport official charged me 300 rupees to hire a taxi, which I realized shortly after was not an official price but an arbitrary one. The terminal hallway was dusty, old and prison-like. We were, at 6 a.m. local time, quickly shocked into “we are in India now” mode.

In all honesty, I didn’t really expect anything different from Mumbai’s airport. India is still a very poor nation, after all. It’s just that through traveling so many of my expectations had been subverted by the reality of a place. Yet, here I finally was in India, and the stereotypes generated through email chain pictorials with subject titles like “Is your country this crazy?” were proving truer than the impressions painted by Western media of a burgeoning economy on the cusp, along with China, of becoming the world’s next great superpower.

To be fair, in doing some research, I learned that over a billion dollars has been spent already to modernize Mumbai’s international airport, with pictures to prove it. It’s likely then that we arrived to an old gate in an old terminal. Still, double digit annual GDP growth India might have, but it has some serious PR problems on its hands if this is what half of the country’s main airport looks like.

Café Tortoni

Argentina's most famous cafe - Cafe Tortoni

Café Tortoni’s service is gruff, but always impeccable. You won’t mind that your waiter is not trying to chat you up after ordering the piping-hot churros and chocolate. Waiters expertly serve rich hot chocolate from still richer-looking copper kettles and matching cups. You will need the accompanying milk to relax the thick, lava-like chocolate. After dipping a warm, sugar-coated churro in your hot chocolate, you will feel the guilt that comes with such decadence, but not enough to deter you from dipping again and again.

If you need a jolt after the soporific chocolate indulgence, order a cortado, or espresso, to get your mettle back. Then, take a peak behind the velvet curtains to take in one of the café’s tango shows or head to the back to shoot some pool. Undoubtedly, after such an elegant experience and a look around at the walls of Café Tortoni, you will leave with a better history of the city and understanding of its people.

Café Richmond

Amidst the frenetic chaos of Florida Street, Cafe Richmond is a bastion of cool and calm

The décor is classic 1920’s with old chandeliers casting a warm glow over the long, meandering room. There are places still where a heavy haze of smoke just seems right. Café Richmond is one of them. Although smoking was banned in indoor bars and cafés a few years ago here in Buenos Aires, there are a few loopholes to get around the law. For this and to appease many of its clientele that have been frequenting the café for years, there is a smoking solarium toward the back. The bathrooms of the café are equally impressive in their décor and are worth a gander (seriously) when you patronize the place. Hang out at The Richmond long enough and you might begin to channel the writing voices of two of its leading habitués – Graham Greene and Jorge Luis Borges.

Cafe Richmond on Calle Florida is where Mad Men congregate

Café La Biela

La Biela is where the tres chic Portenos come for their cafe con leche

Patrons of La Biela have the fortune of enjoying their café con leche alfresco. Outside, one can enjoy a favorite Porteno pastime, people-watching. Indulge your curiosities and pass judgment on (or pretend to be totally indifferent to) the many tourists taking in impromptu tango shows, snapping photos of Recoleta Cemetery or admiring the bright white Nuestra Senora de Pilar Catholic church. In cooler months, this is a great place to warm yourself in the afternoon sun; during summer, cool off in the shade if you can snag a table underneath the great limbs of the famed ombu trees with their Wizard of Oz-like appearance.

Patio area at La Biela shaded by the long-limbed ombu tree

Las Violetas

The stained glass windows of Almagro's Las Violetas is more coffee cathedral than cafe

Enter through the gold-plated revolving door on Avenida Rivadavia and you will think you’ve entered a café built by Willy Wonka – the 1920’s version. The first thing you’ll notice are the magnificent glass cases filled with every type of sweet pastry your heart could desire: giant alfajores – mini shortbread cakes filled with dulce de leche and coated with sugar – and their baby offspring, fruit cakes, medialunas, cherry danishes, chocolate pastries, cakes and éclairs.

Like many other cafes of its time that sadly no longer exist, Las Violetas is enormous, having enough space to seat 200 guests at one time. Ceilings flaunting gold chandeliers rise 30 feet above finely-crafted Italian marble floors. The café was made more European during the 1920′s by the addition of French stained glass windows, giving it a bright, airy and open feeling. Female or not, one must head upstairs where the ladies’ restroom is located to take a gander at the café in all of its glory.

In a nod to Arthur Guinness, Las Violetas serves its coffee black as oil and thick as mud with a white, frothy, bubbling top. If tea is more your cup, then look no further than the Maria Cala tea service – an over-the-top spread of scones, finger sandwiches, cakes and pastries, meant for three, but large enough for six!

Bar and cafe at Alvear Palace Hotel in Recoleta